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Abstract: The tribological behaviors and phase transformation of single crystal silicon against Si3N4, Ruby and steel were investigated in this study. It was found that the strong chemical action between silicon and Fe was the key factor to the tribological behavior of silicon as slid against steel. SEM and Raman spectroscopy indicated that phase transformation of single crystal silicon occurred during the running-in period at low sliding velocity as slid against Si3N4 and Ruby, and gave birth to single or a mixture phase of Si-III, Si-XII and amorphous silicon. The high hardness of counterpart and the absence of chemical action between silicon and counterpart facilitated the phase transformation of single crystal silicon. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The tribological behaviors and phase transformations of single-crystal silicon against Si3N4 with different sliding velocities and durations under low contact stress at room temperature were investigated. SEM and Raman analysis indicate that phase transformation was involved and characterized by plastically deformed area which consists of Si-III, Si-XII, and a-Si, especially in the early stage at the low sliding velocity. The plastically deformed layer was wiped off at high-velocity or long sliding duration. TEM analysis indicated that the wear debris consists of amorphous silicon. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Scratch tests on single crystal silicon under dry sliding and pentadecane lubrication are performed on a commercially available nano-scratch tester. Loads range of elastic, elasto-plastic deformation and fracture are classified according to depth-load curves. A fully plastic removal of single crystal silicon below critical load for fracture is observed under pentadecane lubrication, which is quite different from that under dry sliding. Raman micro-spectra indicate that the phase compositions of the scratched track under dry sliding consist of a number of phases, including Si-I, Si-III, Si-XII and a-Si, while the phase composition of the track under pentadecane lubrication consists of single a-Si. Based on the results obtained, a simple approach to fabricate amorphous silicon pattern on single crystal silicon is introduced and discussed. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]